A domino is a small rectangular wood or plastic block with the face divided into two square halves and marked by dots resembling those on dice. Each domino has either a blank side or a side with a number of spots, called pips, ranging from one to six. The number of pips on each half determines what game the domino is used for. The most common types of domino games involve scoring points or blocking opponents’ play by placing a piece on the table.

Dominoes are played with one person or multiple players. Usually, the first player draws and places a domino onto the game board so that it touches only one end of the row of already laid tiles. Each subsequent player then places a domino on the board so that it touches another exposed end of the row of already placed tiles. The players continue this process until the whole row is completed. The person who lays the final tile is awarded a certain amount of points.

While dominoes are often grouped together by the number of pips on each, they can also be distinguished by the color of their pips or by the material from which they are made. Polymer dominoes are the most common, but some sets are made from materials such as bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), ivory, or a dark hardwood such as ebony with contrasting black or white pips inlaid into or painted on each one. These types of dominoes are typically much more expensive than the polymer ones.

As more and more people were drawn to Domino’s Pizza, Monaghan began opening new locations in suburban areas, often near college campuses. This strategy helped the company become a major national chain in just a few years. As a business, Domino’s has always been committed to its employees and has emphasized open lines of communication with them. This approach extends to its customers as well, and the company has even created a “Domino Innovation Garage” where it brings together cross-functional teams to come up with ideas for the future of the Domino’s brand.

Although many people enjoy just watching a set of dominoes fall, they can also be used to build structures such as a rainbow spiral, which was built by Lily Hevesh using 12,000 dominoes. The curved line of the spiral shows how a domino has inertia and resists movement until an external force such as a slight nudge is applied.